Carrier for bottles and the like



M y 2 1956 w. E. TURNER ET AL 2,746,639

CARRIER FOR BOTTLES AND THE LIKE Filed D60. 11, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. y 05 M/Z/Zrwr Zzwfim y 2, 1956 w. E. TURNER ETAL CARRIER FOR BOTTLES AND THE LIKE 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 11, 1953 INVENTOR. MZZZWVWZW Jw/Ji%% @108.

May 22, 1956 w. E. TURNER ET AL CARRIER FOR BOTTLES AND THE LIKE 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Dec. 11, 1953 lid-ll Ill ll IIIIIS INVENTOR. m/Z ZZWMW.

ni ma May 22, 1956 w. E. TURNER ETAL CARRIER FOR BOTTLES AND THE LIKE 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Dec. 11, 1953 INVENTOR.

M/ZYZWM W May 22, 1956 w. E. TURNER ET AL CARRIER FOR BOTTLES AND THE LIKE 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Dec. ll, 1953 INVEN TORJT WQ//j/kw'aw WW/J ill United States Patent CARRIER FQR BOTTLES AND THELIKE Application December 11, 1953, Serial No. 397,522

' 2 Claims. 11220-1133 This invention relates to carriers for bottles and the like and is directed more particularly to carriers. formed from a single preformed blank.

The principal features of the invention are directed to the provision of a carrier which is formed by folding a novel blank to provide a strong, durable structure having partitions forming pockets for holding a plurality of bottles or the like in separated relation.

As a special feature of the invention, cushion means is provided for the bottoms of pockets formed by the partition and walls to protect the bottles against injury and is accomplished by the provision of relatively foldable portions of the blank forming the carrier.

The carrier having the necessary side walls, partitions, cushion means and a strong durable handle means is folded from a single preformed blank certain parts of which are secured together so that the carrier may be made economically and function efiiciently.

All of the above objects we accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangements of parts thereof, as will fully appear by a perusal of the description below and by various specific features which will be hereinafter set forth.

To the above cited and other ends and with the foregoing and various other novel features and advantages and other objects of our invention as will become more readily apparent as the description proceeds, our invention consists in certain novel features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more particularly pointed out in the claims hereunto annexed and more fully described and referred to in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. l is a plan view of the blank for forming the carrier in partly folded relation;

Fig. 2 is an isometric view of a carrier embodying the novel features of the invention;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the carrier shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional elevational view through the upper handle portion of the blank shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is an end elevational view of the carrier shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a small scale plan view showing the carrier of Fig. 5 in collapsed relation;

Fig. 7 is a sectional plan view on the line 7-7 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 8 is a longitudinal sectional elevational view on the line 88 of Fig. 5;

As shown in Fig. 1, a blank 2 which is formed to provide features to be described is folded longitudinally at opposite longitudinal edges, has opposite longitudinal edge portions 8 and 10 in superposed relation and secured together by suitable adhesive indicated by 12.

The longitudinal right and left edges'of the partially folded blank shown in Fig. 1 become the transverse opposite ends of the set-up or formed carrier as will appear. Score lines for relatively folding or bending the parts are represented by dash lines to be identified.

7 Side walls 14 have lower longitudinal edges bendable on lines 16 relative to bottom wall sections 18 scored at 2t); Said sections 18 cooperate toprovide a bottom wall.

A curved locking tab 21 is formed as by slitting the bottom wall sections 18 near the right hand end of said sections, as in Fig. 1.

Inner central partition sections 22 are provided which have lower ends foldable on lines 24 relative to upper cushion forming members 26. Lowercushion forming members 28 are foldable on lines 30 relative to the members 26 and these members 28 are relatively foldable at 32. The score or bending lines described extend longitudinally of the carrier in set-up relation.

The partition sections 22 have inner handle portions 36 (at opposite ends or" the blankin Fig. l) which are provided with hand hole cut-outs 38. Outer handle portions 40 bent at 42 of the handle portions overlie and are secured to outer sides of the inner handle portions 36. The inner handle portions 36 are died out at 38 and tabs 46 are cut on lines 44 from handle portions 36 and are bendable on lines 48. 4

Lower end half-sections 50 for forming lower portions of end walls are bendable at outer ends, as at 52, relative to the outer ends of the side walls 14. 'These sections 50 at inner ends are bendable at 54 relative to partition sections 22.

Upper end wall sections 56 are bendable at 53 at outer ends of the side walls 14 and at inner ends 60 at the ends of the partition sections 22.

Outer partition sections 70 are hinged at 72 to outer ends of the side walls 14 and transverse partition sections 74 hinged thereto at 76 are foldable at 78 at the Fig. 9 is a transverse sectional elevational view through the endmost pockets of the carrier shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 10 is a side elevational view of the cushion means 7 ends of the partition portion 22.

y In set-up relation of the parts the inner partition walls 22 are brought into superposed relation and secured by adhesive indicated by the stippling so as to form a two ply central longitudinal partition 23. The tabs 46 are secured together by adhesive and are swingable relative to openings 38.

The upper cushion members 26 extend outwardly from the central partition 23 and the lower cushion sections 28 underlie the members 26. The side walls 14 are v is such that bottles in the pockets are separated from one another while end openings are provided into the endmost pockets between the lower and upper end wall sections 50 and 56.

The cushion sections 26 and 28 connected as they are provide a cushion which is substantially of diamond shape in cross-section and has opposite side portions disposed in the bottoms in the pockets of each row. The cushion, by reason of its form, is resilient and yieldingly supports bottles or the like in the pockets. The cushion is par- 3 ticularly useful as when the carrier loaded with bottles is set down on a hard surface. The cushion acts as a buffer to protect the bottles against shock so as to avoid breakage.

'It will be noted that the cushion is elongated in form and is hollow and in cross-section diamond shape so as to provide the desired resiliency.

The tab 46 is pushed from the opening 38 therefor by the fingers which may be slipped into the opening for carrying the carrier.

The transverse partition sections 74 together with the end wall sections 50 and 56 stiffen the carrier transversely while the cushion functions to protect bottles as they are dropped into the pockets as well as when the loaded carrier is set upon or accidentally dropped onto a hard surface.

In the setup relation of the carrier, the lock tab 21 is inserted in the cushion over members 28 as shown in Fig. 11.

Fig. 6 shows the carrier in collapsed relation but is not collapsible with bottles in the pockets.

To collapse 'the empty carrier the end wall sections 50 and 56 or the central partition at one end of the carrier may be pushed longitudinally and inwardly between the side walls 14. By reason of the fold lines, the side walls are brought towards one another, the bottom sections 18 move towards one another by reason of fold line 20, the cushion sections 26 and 28 assume a superposed relation and the end wall sections 50 and 56 at the other end of the carrier project outwardly as shown in Fig. 6.

The carrier in collapsed condition has little thickness for storage and shipping purposes, but may be quickly and easily brought to set-up condition by separating the side walls slightly and locating the end wall portions between the ends of the side walls.

Opposite ends of the bottom wall sections are free of the end walls and the cushion forming members are free of the bottom and end wall sections to provide the most etficient cushioning effect at the bottoms of the pockets.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the essential characteristics thereof. Hence, the present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects merely as being illustrative and not as being restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all modifications and variations as fall within the meaning and purview and range of equivalency of the appended claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What it is desired to claim and secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A collapsible bottle carrier formed from a preformed blank of sheet material comprising in combination, op-

posite vertically disposed elongated outer side walls, horizontal bottom Wall sections connected at outer longitudinal edges to longitudinal lower edges of said side walls and connected at inner longitudinal edges thereof to one another, pairs of vertically spaced lower and upper vertical end wall sections at opposite ends of said side walls having outer ends of the end wall sections of the pairs thereof connected to corresponding ends of said side walls and extending inwardly towards one another, providing spaces between lower and upper sections vertical secured together central partition members between said side Walls having opposite ends connected to inner ends of the lower and upper end wall sections of the pairs thereof whereby said partition members are spaced inwardly from said side walls, outer partition sections between the lower and upper pairs of end wall sections connected at outer ends to the ends of the side walls and being disposed on and secured to inner sides of said side walls, inner vertical partition sections connected to inner ends of said outer partition sections and extending parallel to said end wall sections and between said side Walls and partition members and being spaced inwardly of said end wall sections and connected at inner ends to said partition members, said partition members extending above the plane of the upper edges of said side walls and provided with hand hole means, and cushion means between the lower longitudinal portion of said central partition members and said bottom wall sections.

2. A collapsible bottle carrier set forth in claim 1 wherein said cushion means includes, elongated upper cushion sections extending outwardly in opposite directions from said central position members having inner longitudinal edges thereof connected to lower longitudinal edges of said partition members, and lower elongated cushion sections below the upper cushion sections having outer longitudinal edges connected to outer longitudinal edges of said upper cushion sections and inner longitudinal edges connected together.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,952,071 Hunter Mar. 27, 1934 2,535,741 Lighter Dec. 26, 1950 2,556,778 Ringler June 12, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 560,830 Great Britain Apr. 21, 1944 

